Hayden Kaine, a brash young cadet, thinks his family's influence has guaranteed his destiny as a future leader of the Earth Confederation. But falling on the wrong side of an Admiral is never a good idea, and he soon finds himself posted to an outdated military starship at the farthest reaches of the galaxy.What at first appears to be a routine mission turns south when an unforseen disaster traps Kaine and the crew of the Scimitar at the edge of charted space, with no means to return home.Little do they appreciate the dangers that lurk in the dead system, and soon they find themselves fighting an unknown alien species, not only for their survival, but for the future of the empire itself.

     Beware the poison of the Murder Blossom! When a desperate wizard sends Templeton Kane on an important quest, he's obliged to team up with a formidable woman named Lill. Not only is Lill an imposing physical specimen -- as are many in her tribe from the Glacial Wastes -- but she's also an Ink Mage, a woman whose magical tattoos give her extraordinary abilities. As they chase an ancient artifact, moving from danger to danger, they discover that legends are not always what they're cracked up to be. Occasional strong language, brief adult situations, and gritty sword-stabbing action. The Murder Blossom is a 25,000 word NOVELLA. A word about SideQuests: Ink Mage SideQuests are meant to be shorter works set in the world of Ink Mage. Think of them as "in between meal snacks" while waiting for the books in the main series. While the SideQuests are meant to stand on their own, characters and situations might (or might not) appear in the main novels.

    When they returned the next year, they were met with sticks and stones, stripped naked and sent home with red cheeks.Mark Horrell and his two friends Mark and Ian shared a dream to climb an 8,000m peak, but it seemed the gods were against them too. They had made no fewer than eight attempts without success (though they had managed to return with their clothes on).With towering ice walls, monsoon rainstorms, arm-twisting crevasses and – most dangerous of all – welcoming teahouses ready to entrap them, would it be different this time?

    

    It's a choice.The United Galactic Government is mired in a decade-long war for control of a key planet. Weakened by overextension and political intrigue, they could lose everything.When a child of privilege gives up everything to enlist and fight for what is right, he learns what it means to become part of a team. He encounters refugees, aliens he never expected to empathize with, and the loss of comrades. In the end he must develop the courage to stand up, not only to aliens and governments, but his own family.

    In the story 'First Shift', Hugh Howey said in an interview that Silo 40 had shut itself down and you wouldn't believe what was going on in silo 40.

    That puts Ensign Jacob Renselaer on the spot. Can he find out why the aliens killed his ship’s officers? Can he take command of the Battlestar? Does he want to be the leader of ten heavily armed starships that never expected to encounter aliens? Deep in the Kepler 22 star system, mutual misunderstanding between two peoples who cannot speak to each other leads to multiple space battles. Somehow Jacob becomes the leader he never wanted to be. His close friend Daisy the pilot helps him, as do other friends on the Battlestar. On the alien side, Hunter One is determined to kill the invaders who threaten his new colony world. His people the Swarm have never been defeated. Now, he faces Soft Skins who do not flee at the loss of their leaders. In a distant star system, people human and alien die, scheme, and fight for survival. None of them have ever faced combat before. But now, both sides learn what it is like to have someone seek your death and the death of your friends!

    Adeline Archer is twenty-five and she is DESPERATE!She needs to run from the luxury she's known in New York.Their affluent lifestyle is at an abrupt end! Now her father has taken his own life, leaving either Adeline or her younger sisters commanded to marry to Lex Baxtor- the man they hated most!Well . . . so she needs an ESCAPE PLAN - to become a Mail order Bride with a strict no-love policy. Perfect!Gold Rush . . . and James Blair, are her ONLY option.What will happen in a marriage when two hearts committed to a strict-no-love policy?Will they go through with the annulment they think they want?AMELIA - The Idealistic Bride for Her Insecure Rancher ~ Book 2Amelia Archer is almost twenty - a romantic artist and DREAMER by nature...As a matter of fact, she's imagined her wedding day for as long as she can remember.Along with a wonderful wedding, her thoughts had often to be with her one true love. The touching and poetic letters from Jack Blair have had Amelia's heart in a spin and she knows he's the perfect husband for her.Everything had worked out perfectly well......well... until reality struck...What will happen when Amelia comes crashing down to earth on a ranch which is more rustic than she expected and nowhere near as romantic as she imagined?Dashing Jack Blair loves the ranch but hates ranching. He's insecure about his future and maybe a bride can help give him hope for the future.Will he choose his own bride for love and not for her ability to further the family empire?AVERILL- The Careful Bride for Her Impulsive Sheriff ~ Book 3Averill Archer is eighteen, an intellect, careful and YEARNING for a NEW FUTURE to fulfill all her ambitions . . . and at the same time to fulfill her sister's escape plan.If she must marry, she will do so with a man to match her bright and active mind. When well-written letters arrive from Jacob Blair,. she's EXCITED and absolutely POSITIVE he's the one for her.But there's a problem . . . . .Averill Archer hates liars and drinkers!What will happen if her future husband - Jacob Blair is both a liar and a drinker?Jacob can't read or write and doesn't believe he can ever learn.Being impulsive and hot-headed, his main answer to problems is a bottle of booze.Will Averill's discovery about Jacob's lies and deceit over the letters that captured her heart and his pig-headedness be the end of budding young love?The Big Feisty Bride tamed by Her Scarred Banker ~ BONUS STORY: Book 1 in

    Hostile encounters. Just another day for the Earth Space Service Marine. A new boxed set from #1 Best Selling author James David Victor Sergeant Andrea “Andy” Dolan and her squad of Space Marines are trained to protect the ESS Alliance against all threats. When hostile aliens invade, they are the last line of defense. As conflicts intensify and unexplained abilities manifest in Andy, it becomes clear something big is on the horizon. Their only hope is the Space Marine who doesn’t even know who, exactly, she is. The Earth Space Service Boxed Set contains the first three books in the ESS Space Marines series. If you like fast paced space adventures with engaging, and quirky, characters, you will love Andy and the ESS Space Marines.

    Audrey works in the canning factory by day but her nights soon become filled with suspense after she learns that the woods near her house are haunted and filled with secrets that she longs to uncover. Hold your breath as Audrey walks on the “wrong side of the fence” and share her wonder as she marvels at the mysterious, disappearing church. She may need your prayers as she brushes shoulders with the spirits of the dead but her biggest obstacle will still be ahead of her. Preacher Man, the reportedly deceased property owner of Shepard’s Woods, must be confronted before Audrey can make any headway. Will he allow her to uncover the mysterious secrets or will he refuse to let her on his property? Can she convince him that she is mature enough to help him conquer his demons? Come along for the journey and watch as Audrey discovers the secrets, excitement, and heart-felt warmth of small town living.

    many secrets. But when they are unexpectedly attacked, she must fight her way to the only man her father says she can trust… Lord Harington. Edwin, the Earl of Harington, is one of the best spies the Crown has. When his partner’s infuriating daughter shows up injured on his doorstep, he's forced to ensure her protection while he searches for Lord Rawlings. As Marianne stumbles into his world of espionage, Edwin struggles with his growing attraction towards her, while still maintaining his own secrets. As traitors are revealed, can they learn to trust each other before it's too late?

    Now it's about to become ground zero in a gold rush by every crooked company and asteroid thief in the galaxy. Andrew Cochrane, with his crew of the finest veterans and cunning rogues, have an even better scheme. They've conned the owner into hiring them as a mercenary security company to defend the system. With no oversight but their own, Cochrane's Company plans to seize the richest pickings for themselves. But nothing ever comes easy. If they want to keep their loot, they're going to have to outwit and outfight every smuggler, bandit and renegade after the same prize - and their boss, too!

    Age of Anarchy Online (AAO) is the newest game released by Icestorm, makers of the legendary World of Destiny (WoD). Unlike VR games before it, AAO promises a 110% 'Better Than Life' realism experience, and to showcase this, Icestorm announces that AAO will have no 'Out of Character' rules, save for actions like hacking or exploiting system errors. Players can do anything to NPCs and even other players, and there will be no consequences save what one may suffer in game. "Do what thou wilt, but it may be done to you in turn." Mike Greene, better known in WoD as Torgan, a max level Paladin and leader of the Lords of Light, one of the top 'light side' guilds in WoD, now sets off on a new adventure in AAO. -------------------- Author's Note: If you haven't guessed, there's going to be all kinds of nastiness in this story. Violence, language, racism, sexism, sex, gore, vore, and more! If you have triggers of any kind, this is your warning. If you're looking for a nice, heartwarming tale like Sword Art Online, keep looking. There will be 'good guys' as well, but this is a story where Might IS Right. However, if you've read Watchmen and Wanted, and like what you read (READ, not the movies!), then you just may find this story in your strike zone. And for f*ck's sake, this is just a story! Don't take this as an endorsement of any of the actions in this story. **This is an omnibus edition containing the first four volumes of Rules-Free VRMMO Life.**

     Kate decides to become a governess and she and her sisters are delighted when she is hired by the Duke of Chelmsford, who agrees to let the Sawyer sisters live on the estate. But the Duke has his own motives for his decision. When he tries to force himself upon her younger sister, Kate threatens to kill him. Two days later, the Duke is dead and his grandmother wants a quick trial and hanging, with Catherine on the end of the rope. But the new Duke, Marcus Creighton, the black sheep of the family, is unconvinced that the lovely, gentle governess is a murderess and he’s determined to solve the murder and save Catherine from the gallows. As he delves deeper into past family secrets, his efforts to save the woman he has fallen in love with puts his own life in danger.

    Once again, local butcher Bob is playing the dame, but the whole production is put under threat when someone sabotages his business. Libby Sarjeant recruits Fran Wolfe to help find the culprit and restore the Steeple Martin pantomime.